I Cannot Believe this is Finally Happening

Chapter 4

(AN: Minor spoilers for Season six. Disclaimer: I do not own CSI)

Sara awoke to find Grissom still sleeping. She thought about lying there next to him a bit longer, but she was too wide awake, so she slipped out from under the covers. His robe was laying over the chair in his bedroom, Oh my god, I'm in his bedroom! She thought as realization set in her mind. She pulled his robe over her bare skin, and inhaled his scent from the robe and smiled brightly.

After quietly leaving the room and making her way down the stairs and to the kitchen, she found his coffee and started the pot. There were eggs in the fridge, so she figured she would make some breakfast. A fruit salad and some toast would accompany the eggs.

He began to stir when he rolled over to find the bed empty. His eyes popped open. Did she leave? Did she think they were moving too fast? His nose brought him from his thoughts and relief flooded him as he inhaled the amazing aroma coming from downstairs. She was still there. A smile spread over his face. He pulled on a pair of boxers and a tee shirt, and headed down the stairs.

Once outside the kitchen, he stopped just to watch her. She was wearing his robe, and it was falling off her shoulder slightly as she beat the eggs. She was gorgeous. He kept his eyes on her, not believing that he actually enjoyed having her in his home. He had always lived alone, never wanting anyone to invade his space, and yet he didn't want to think about later when she would go back to her place and he would be alone. He was falling hard and fast for this woman.

Sara was slicing banana when she felt two arms slip around her waist causing her heart to skip a beat. "Good morning," she said to him, popping a banana slice into his mouth.

He swallowed the fruit. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" He kissed her neck as he spoke.

"I slept great, you?"

"I could get use to waking up next to you." He held up the coffee pot, "Coffee?"

"Um… please." His words left her a little flustered, What did that mean? She thought it best to leave it alone for now. "Hungry?"

They ate their breakfast, never missing a beat in their conversation. After breakfast Sara left saying she needed to shower and change before shift that night.

Sara walked into the lab almost an hour early, and while walking to the locker room, she passed by his office. She knocked gently on the door, not really sure why. He looked up to see her leaning on the doorframe. "Hey." He greeted her warmly.

"Hey," she responded.

"Do you have anything that needs your attention right now?"

She shook her head.

"Great, can you help me with some of these files?" He held up one of the many manila folders piled on his desk.

"Sure, let me just drop my stuff of in my locker, and I'll be right back." She tried not to appear too excited, but he needed her!

"Thanks."

After she returned they spent the next 45 minutes going through the files. When they spoke, it was concerning a case and nothing more. When Catherine, Greg, and Warrick arrived assignments were handed out and shift went on as normal. Well as normal as it could be considering this was the first shift they worked since Nick's abduction.

When it was over Sara headed for her car in the parking lot. As she climbed in her cell phone rang. Smiling when she saw who it was, she looked over to see him climbing into his SUV. She flipped the phone open. "I can see you."

He chuckled a little before responding, "That went pretty well."

"You mean all business at work?" She used her best professional voice.

"And now we can play." He nearly lost the straight face he was trying so hard to keep.

She couldn't hold the laughter in, "What did you have in mind?"

"You could pack a bag and meet me at my place."

"Ah so you think you can call me up and place an order for delivery?" She teased.

"There's a thought."

"Down boy, I'll be there in an hour or so."

"See you then." He nearly sung.

They went on for weeks spending most days together and the rare night off together. Sometimes they stayed at Grissom's town home and other times they stayed at Sara's apartment. They kept their relationship to themselves and were professional at work. If anything, their coworkers only noticed improved moods, but as far as they knew no one had been able to put one and one together.

They grew closer over time. They were becoming more and more intimate, not just physically, but emotionally as well. The two people who had always valued their privacy began to open up little by little sharing pieces of their past with each other. Grissom admitted that the first time he saw Sara in the lecture hall he had become enthralled with her. She admitted that when she first met him she wanted him; of course it took more than a couple glasses of wine to admit that.

One evening Grissom watched as Sara began to collect her things to go home and change. "Why don't you start keeping some things here?"

She froze at his words, "I, uh, I could do that." She was more than a little surprised. Her practical side rationalized that it would alleviate a lot of driving around for both of them. "You know, you could keep some things at my place too if you like."

"I would like that," he smiled at her. He couldn't believe where they were going. This was uncharted territory, for both of them.

Their arrangement ended up making life easier. Her things made their way to his home and his things made their way to her home. They could stay at either place for days without one of them having to run home. If one of them had the night off the other would go to their home after work and everything they needed would be there for them.

Hiding their relationship at work became second nature for them. They were careful about what they said to one another and all physical contact was brief and only when others were not around. They were careful when they went out as a couple to be sure they were not spotted by familiar eyes, but they opted to take the risk so as not to become hermits locked up in one of their homes.

Grissom arrived at Sara's apartment after shift a few minutes ahead of her. He took his jacket off and made his way to the kitchen. They had been together a little over six months so he comfortably made his way around her place, almost as if it were his. He started to clear some counter space for breakfast when he saw her lease sitting with a pile of mail. He was looking at it when the door opened, "Hey, how did you get here before me?"

"Must have hit all of the lights right," he teased her.

She took off her jacket and walked over to where he was and kissed him, "What are you looking at?"

"Your lease is up." He held up the papers.

"Uh huh. I just have to sign it and turn it back in, why?" She began looking through the other papers in the pile.

He took a chance. "Don't sign it."

"Gil, I don't have the time to look for a new place." She was a little too tired to really understand at what he was getting.

He took a nervous breath, "Move all of your things to the town house. It could be our home."

"What?"

"We haven't slept apart in months, we know each other intimately. I know when you need space. You know when I need space. We move in unison when we are together. I love you and want to be with you, every day." The words had poured out of him.

Sara stood there in shock, "Y-y-you love me?"

He nodded and took her into his arms and looked her in the eye, "I love you, and I always have and always will."

She just stood there in his arms unable to speak for a moment. Just digesting what he had said. Eventually she began to wrap her arms around his neck and returned his look, "I love you too."

They began to kiss, and then they said good-bye to Sara's apartment in their own way. In fact, they said good-bye to every room of Sara's apartment starting with the kitchen and ending with the bedroom where they awoke hours later.

TBC…